The work is finally over, and while the ’soft opening’ has already happened, the city is holding a grand reopening ceremony on Wednesday, October 1st at 11:30. It all takes place at the construction site, and there should be representatives from the local civic association on hand.

There had been some rumblings to this effect, but Style’s article was the first confirmation I’d seen that Denise Lewis (aka Principal Lewis @ Lucille Brown) was indeed no longer on the PH Charter board. The article suggests that internal pressure might have led to the resignation, while RPS, of course, denies such a thing.

True drama or manufactured controversy? You be the judge.

Mid-September has crept up on us again which means it’s time for the 43rd Street Festival. 10-5 tomorrow, and you all know the place.

On the heels of Jonathan Mallard’s take on the PHI, the West-Goldman plan isto be released at a noon presser today. First person to track down a transcript and/or hard copy of the contract wins the eternal devotion of the Southside masses (or the perpetual hatred of everyone sick of hearing about education).

From Kathy Graziano’s office:

Four candidates are running to replace George Braxton, who is not running for a third term. Bert Berlin and Jonathan Mallard are from the eastern end of the district, both residing in Westover Hills. John Lloyd lives on Traylor Drive in Traylor Estates, and Adria Graham Scott lives in the Wayland subdivision off Huguenot Road.

Our forum will provide an opportunity to hear from the candidates, to ask questions, and to share your ideas with them.

It all goes down at 7PM tonight, St. Luke Lutheran Church, 7757 Chippenham Pkwy. Here’s your chance to put (screen)names to faces…

…because it won’t be there tomorrow. Weather concerns forced cancellation of tomorrow’s offering, however some of the usual suspects are apparently setting up shop Sunday @ Broad & Staples Mill.

It’s not in the neighborhood, but the Richmond Crusade for Voters and the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Richmond are co-sponsoring a Mayoral Debate at Thomas Jefferson HS tonight, 6:30 PM.

A tractor trailer wreck on the Powhite bridge is causing some major delays for southbound traffic. At least a couple lanes are blocked and it sounds like it might be a while before it’s cleaned up, so adjust as necessary.

I’m sure regular readers have noticed a dropoff in posting frequency of late. A major increase in “real-world” responsibilities has severely cut into the time I can devote to the site right now, so I’m in need of a bit of assistance. I’m looking for an additional writer- someone who attends council meetings, district meetings and that sort of thing would be great, but not necessary. If anyone has an interested, email me and I’ll fill you in on the details.

If you’ve ever read these pages and lamented that the coverage didn’t go too much south of the Forest Hill corridor (and I know a couple of you have), then Southside Richmond should be right up your alley. There will probably be some overlap between here and there, but they should have you folks a little south of here covered.

After profiling the 4th District last month, Richmond.com now turns its attention to the 5th District. Unlike the 4th, they’ve got quite the little Council race underway just down the road…

The T-D’s Discover Richmond has published a detailed multimedia piece on Pony Pasture. It’s not news for most of us, but a nice feature for newcomers.

Northbound Powhite near the Jahnke Rd interchange will have a brief but complete shutdown tomorrow late-morning. A sign installation will require the closure, for which an exact time has not been announced, but RMA officials suggest in the 10-11AM area.

…you may need a detour this morning. The railroad crossing has been blocked by a stopped train for some time. No indication what the cause is or when it’ll be moving again…

The latest edition of Richmond.com’s Meet Your District column features the 4th District. The heavy focus on the school board race (including quotes from all 4 candidates) suggests that we’re not the only ones afflicted with the All Education All The Time theme…

To those on the Tuesday “blue” week recycling schedule: did yours get picked up this today? Forest View seems to have been left high & dry, which was good news for the can-collector dude, but a bit frustrating for the rest of us.

The Valentine Richmond History Center is offering a walking tour of Forest Hill this coming Sunday from 2-4PM. The tour will center around the history of Forest Hill Park and current restoration work at the lake, as well as the immediate neighborhood surroundings.

And dog lovers should keep in mind that a similar tour is offered as part of Valentine’s History Hounds series in October.

A reader asks:

I’m new to Forest Hill and was wondering about veterinarians on this side of town. I love my old vet, but it’s so far away now. Can anyone recommend a good vet (the one right in Stratford Hills maybe?) in this part of town?

Anyone?

The GRTC is holding 2 public meetings to discuss routes recently announced as being up for elimination. Two affected routes- The 65 Stony Point-MCV Express and the 61 Broad Rock Shuttle- service our immediate areas. The meetings are 3PM tomorrow, July 22 and 6PM July 28, both in Council Chambers on the 2nd floor or City Hall.

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At tomorrow’s rendition of the South of the James Market, 4th District Council representative Kathy Graziano and her culinary-minded sons will compete against a team of chefs from Positive Vibe Cafe in the MarketVibe Chefs Challenge. Like something straight out of Top Chef, the teams will purchase all items from the market offerings and prepare a variety of dishes using small appliances, grills and the like. Graziano told the T-D:

We originally thought of this as a way to get people to come to the park, and it’s also a good way to show people what they can do with fresh stuff…It should be fun. We should raise a lot of money for a good cause and get even more people to come to the market.”

From today’s Style, a new chef is in at Positive Vibe Cafe. The Cafe will also be hosting Christmas in July on the 26th. Live music and seasonal decor accompany a food drive for the Central Virginia Food Bank.

If you lost a brooch pin on New Kent Road between Riverside and Dorchester while watching July 4th fireworks, a reader may have found it. Shoot a description our way, and we’ll make sure the finder gets your info.

A student is looking for assistance with a project on the history of Stratford Hills. If any experts on the subject would be willing to help out, let us know and we’ll pass along your contact information.

What could be the country’s first conservation easement for an urban park could be coming soon to both banks of the James River Park system.

Forest Hill Park sees lots of activity on Sunday July 20th. From noon-4PM is the return of Sunday in the Park, followed immediately by the summer monthly Music in the Park Series, which runs until 6PM. All the details are below the fold.

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